


all we have

by morlawny



Series: morlawny soulmates!au [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, and love each other, honestly i just want them to be happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-01-07 14:53:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18412904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morlawny/pseuds/morlawny
Summary: in this soulmates!au, whatever you doodle on your skin, appears on your soulmate's skin, as well.josiah is afraid he will never find out who his soulmate is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> part 1 of my doodleverse soulmates!au. i do plan on making a part 2, or possibly even a multi-chapter fic for this at some point. we shall see!

Josiah would never forget the first doodle that appeared on his wrist. It was a flower… a Mountain Laurel, to be exact; a surprisingly well-drawn one, too.

He’d been relatively young when it first appeared, around twenty-two years old. It startled him at first, but as he watched the lines glide gracefully along his skin in real time, he couldn’t help but become entranced. A part of him wanted to write back to the person, to find out who they were and learn more about them. They were soulmates, after all. And so, with each drawing, he’d write a compliment in response, hoping to connect with this person. 

Josiah had gotten countless drawings over the years since the first, and they’d only gotten better with time. His favorite had been a beautiful landscape that appeared on the inside of his forearm, complete with tall pine trees, snow-capped mountain ranges, and a single, proud stag. One he’d seen in several of the drawings before.

He’d asked about it afterward, after seeing the animal a few times. The quill tip tickled his skin as he wrote in perfect cursive, 

_What is the story behind the stag, darling?_

It didn’t take long for a response, and Josiah’s attention was rapt as he watched the slightly messier cursive start to appear beneath his own.

_Might sound crazy, but I feel a connection with them._

His heart fluttered at the words as they appeared. It made him giddy to know that his soulmate felt a kinship with such a beautiful animal.

_Not crazy at all, dear one. I find it quite endearing._

A warm smile crossed his face as he received a small heart next to his words in response. Right after, a tinge of melancholy tugged at his heart, wishing so dearly that he could have this lovely person with him by his side. He didn’t even know the other’s name… Curiosity had plagued him for years, of course, but whenever he brought the subject up, the other would dance around it or change it entirely. It was a fruitless effort, really. Josiah feared the only way he’d find out was if the other was on their death bed because it was clear that they didn’t want their identity to be known. Was it to spare him? Were they involved in things generally frowned upon by society?

Josiah wasn’t necessarily squeaky clean himself. He’d had his fair share of lies and deceit to get by, and was surprisingly good at it. Friends weren’t hard to come by with his outgoing personality, and the connections he’d accumulated over the years were quite substantial. He supposed he could thank his father for that trait. 

Josiah released a soft sigh as he stared at the heart on his arm, and gently brushed it with his thumb. By this point, he’d accepted that he’d probably never find out who his soulmate was. Of course, he’d always keep an open mind.

Because how could romance ever be silly? It was all he had.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> josiah is introduced to hosea matthews and arthur morgan by dutch, and has a strange feeling about the gruff outlaw.

It wasn't but a few months later that Josiah met Dutch van der Linde, a notorious gang leader, and if he were being honest, quite intimidating at first impression. He invited Josiah to their camp after learning of his connections and introduced him to Hosea Matthews and Arthur Morgan. Josiah's eyes lingered on Arthur for a long moment, somewhat entranced by his gruff disposition. He surely was a sight to the outlaws, with his meticulously groomed facial hair and a fancy suit. 

Arthur gave a curt nod of greeting, remaining silent. Hosea's eyes were narrowed as he stared at Josiah a moment, then spoke,

"Dutch, are you positive that we can trust this man?"

Josiah would be offended if he weren't telling the truth. The conman had always put himself before anyone else, and he wouldn't stop for a few people he'd just met. 

"I wouldn't bring him to camp if I didn't, Hosea. Mr. Trelawny, would you mind explaining why I brought you here?"

Josiah straightened himself and gave a nod, his gaze switching between the two men in front of him.

"Gentleman, I know you're weary; and for good reason. I assure you that I only want to help," Josiah said, placing a hand over his heart as a sign of reassurance. He watched as Arthur relaxed slightly, crossing his arms over his chest, and a wave of relief washed over the Englishman. He knew their trust wouldn't come overnight; he would have to work for it, and he was more than willing to accept that challenge.

"I will be available in ways that most of you can't, due to the prices on your heads, and the fact that I'm very, very good at obtaining information," he told them, smiling lightly as he caught Arthur's expression turn curious. He wasn't expecting the man's gruff tone of voice as he spoke, but it certainly was a pleasant surprise.

"What kind of information?" The blonde asked. Josiah caught the curious look from Hosea as well, and he was quick to ease their curiosity.

"Whatever kind you need, dear boy. I like to think of myself as a purveyor of various information sources," he replied. And really, it was true; Josiah had contacts all over. Alden and Hector - the train clerks at Rhodes and Strawberry - were his go-to's for stage robberies. He had the (admittedly wretched) horse fencer Clive, as well as his brother, also in Rhodes. Them, as well as several people in Saint Denis.

Another curious, slightly surprised look crossed Arthur's face as soon as he said "dear boy", and Josiah quirked a brow quizzically. Perhaps he didn't like the nickname? Josiah ran a hand subconsciously over his arm where he and his soulmate wrote to each other, and he silently wondered for a short moment if, in fact, Arthur was his soulmate. The thought quickly passed, and the hopefulness in his chest turned to embarrassment. The only way he'd know for sure is if he saw Arthur's drawings, and that was a big "if". For now, he was content with sharing information, and getting paid for it.

“As it stands, whatever you gentleman need, I will do my utmost to acquire it,” he added, earning a raised brow from Hosea. Josiah gave him a small smile. “Provided it keeps my hands clean, of course.”

Hosea stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, before taking Dutch aside and speaking to him in a hushed tone. Josiah tensed slightly, but his demeanor remained calm. Whatever they decided, he would be fine with. There were other gangs who would benefit from his information, and he’d benefit from the money they gave him for it. 

Josiah felt eyes on him and glanced toward Arthur, who caught his gaze and immediately looked away, clearing his throat. He scuffed the dirt with the toe of his boot and pretended not to notice the Englishman, whos mustache quirked slightly upward with the hint of a smile. He had definitely flustered his fair share of men in his day, but this felt.. _Different_ , somehow.

“Feeling alright, Mr. Morgan?” he asked in a friendly tone, making the outlaw’s cheeks flush just a little bit.

“Doin’ just fine, Mr. Trelawny,” he replied gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Dutch and Hosea returned a few moments later, and Josiah straightened himself as he waited for the verdict. Dutch gave him a smirk, placing a cigar between his lips and lighting it.

“Looks like your stuck with us, Trelawny.” He took a moment to inhale the smoke and then released it a few seconds later, chuckling as he added, “Glad to have you on board.”.

He hadn’t realized his heart was racing as fast as it was when Dutch finally spoke, and he smiled wide, reaching out to shake his hand as well as Hosea’s. 

“Happy to be here, Mr. Van der Linde, Mr. Matthews.”

Truly, he felt grateful for the opportunity to prove himself. More so, he was excited to learn more about the mysterious outlaw to his right. He watched them walk away, then turned to face Arthur, who approached him with an outstretched hand and a quirked brow.

“Lookin’ forward to workin’ with ya,” he told him, and Josiah smiled softly, reaching out to take his hand without breaking his gaze.

“And you as well, Mr. Morgan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, i apologize for the short chapters, but that is the best way it works for me, lol. i do hope you all enjoy it so far, though! i have exciting plans for this. <3


End file.
